As part of Candid’s welcome reissue of its fine sessions from the years after 1989 when Alan Bates took over the label, this septet (Pérez and Lopez take turns at the piano) is a good example of the excellent music that was released. Nodding in the direction of Dizzy, Monk and Coltrane, there are plenty of originals here as well.

And even the standards get highly original treatments, for example, the opening of ‘Giant Steps’ shows some highly original harmonic ideas, before a simply stunning clarinet solo from D’Rivera over the usual chord sequence.

In contrast to the fire and speed of his clarinet there, a gorgeous ‘Out of Nowhere’ shows his mastery of the instrument’s delicate, intimate side, as he duets with Harvie S’s bass. I remember being blown away by D’Rivera’s playing when I heard him live in New York just before this was made, and despite having the marvelous James Moody as his reed-playing counterpart (who shines in his central solo on Roditi’s composition ‘Linda’s Moody’) Paquito’s mastery of alto, soprano and clarinet is consummate and he brings something special to every track.

The standout is his exhilarating soprano saxophone on his feature (with rhythm) ‘Irremediablemente Solo’ – which translates as ‘Incurably Alone’. But that’s not to undervalue the entire band who are both a cohesive ensemble and a collection of fine soloists, best displayed on the extrovert opening track which gives its title to the whole album.